Alexandria, Virginia, USA
September 30, 2010

U.S. seed industry leaders gather in Washington D.C. Sept. 29 - Oct. 1 for the American Seed Trade Association’s Executive Committee meeting, designed to discuss current state, federal and international issues that will impact the future of the Association.

ASTA is comprised of nearly 700 companies involved in seed production and distribution, plant breeding and related industries in North America. Priority areas of the Association include state and local issues, domestic policy, intellectual property, education and outreach, global agricultural policy and the Seed Association of the Americas.

ASTA’s current strategic plan, adopted by the Board of Directors in 2005, will come under the microscope for members to scrutinize and provide feedback through 2011.

“This is just a starting point for the process,” says Andy LaVigne, ASTA president and chief executive officer. “Time will be allotted during other ASTA meetings throughout the year to continue this discussion.”

For the previous five years, ASTA has been charged with:

• Providing effective leadership on domestic policy and funding issues important to the U.S. seed industry.
• Advocating and defending the intellectual property interests of the U.S. seed industry, domestically and internationally, including providing education to growers, legislators, government officials, media and customers.
• Effectively manage the increasing number of state and local government actions impacting the U.S. seed industry.
• Outreaching more effectively with ASTA publics, including media, government, industry customers and the public at large with increasing emphasis on supporting seed industry views deeper in the value chain.
• Establishing and supporting the Seed Association of the Americas to improve the effectiveness and value of seed trade among and within countries in the Americas.
• Providing effective leadership on global policy, in addition to domestic, agricultural, trade and other policy issues affecting the seed industry.

“It’s important to evaluate our priority areas and change as the industry changes and evolves,” LaVigne says. “There are many new issues facing the industry that we need to be in front of.”
 

Website: http://www.amseed.org

Published: September 30, 2010